PORTAGE — Police are warning residents not to fall victim to a phone scam from someone posing to be with the local Police Department.

"We have received several calls today from residents of Portage telling us they received a call from 209-3626 with someone claiming to be calling from the Portage Police Department," the Police Department said in a news release Wednesday.

The person on the phone reportedly told would-be victims they were conducting an investigation and the reason they were investigating is "because they lived in Portage and had a phone number with an area code from out of state," police said.

"The person on the phone asked for personal information that could have been used to commit fraud had it been given out," police said.

The people who received the phone call ended the call, then called the Portage Police Department to verify they were indeed speaking to an officer.

Police urge people not to offer up personal information over the phone.

"Scammers will pretend to be anyone to get your information," police said.

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Lauren covers breaking news, crime and courts for The Times. She previously worked at The Herald-News in Joliet covering government, public policy, and the region’s heroin epidemic. She holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting.

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